Friends-to-lovers romances are a favorite of mine and it takes center stage in this charming tale of the star quarterback and the woman he's known since they were kids who fake love affair becomes all too real. Witty banter and unrelenting sexual tension combine to make this an entertaining read that you won't want to see end. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Most Valuable Playboy by Lauren Blakely, along with my impressions of it, then add it to your bookshelf. In honor of this charming standalone romance make sure to visit the link below for the chance to win a Most Valuable Prize Pack consisting of a Coach handbag and a $150 Stub Hub GC too!
Hands down, my favorite thing in the world is to score. Touchdowns.
Don't let the fact that I'm the leading pick in the Most Valuable Playboy charity auction fool you. These days, I'm only a player on the field. I've kept my pants zipped all season long -- and it has been long -- because nothing's more important than leading my team to victory every week. Except maybe escaping from the team owner's recently-widowed and handsy-as-hell sister who's dead set on winning more than a date with me.
Enter Violet and a well-placed Hail Mary.
She's my best friend's sister with a smile as sweet as cherry pie and a mind that runs quicker than the 40-yard-dash. After Violet saves the day with the highest bid, I don't even give her a two-minute warning before I kiss her in front of the whole crowd and then announce that she's my girlfriend. Which would be fine except my agent tells me we have to keep up the act while he's negotiating my contract.
Violet takes one for the team and pretends to be mine, but our boyfriend-girlfriend scrimmage quickly turns into a full contact sport, and I want it to go into overtime. The problem is -- I've been riding the bench for years.
How can a guy like me, who finally has a chance to prove his worth on the field, convince the girl she’s most valuable to his heart?
EXCERPT:
The business suit woman raises a hand, offering forty-one hundred.
Maxine’s eyes laser in on me, and she slashes an arm through the air. “Five thousand dollars,” she says, jacking the price up by nine hundred and staking her claim. I shudder inside.
The guy’s eyes widen, and he holds up his hands. “I’m out."
My stomach plummets when the business woman shakes her head.
“Going once?” Sierra asks, scanning the tables, looking for perhaps one last big spender. My eyes scan the crowd, too. Hell, maybe I’ll find an escape hatch. A trapdoor to drop into and disappear like in a magic act. Maybe Trent will learn to read my mind. Trent, I’ll cover you for anything you bid. Just raise that hand, name a price, and save me.
My best friend’s expression is merely curious now as he watches Maxine and Sierra, waiting for the verdict. My opportunity to play yard boy slips through my fingers.
The look in Maxine’s eyes is pure satisfaction as she waits for the final word. She winks at me, as if we have a secret. Holy shit. She thinks I want this. She thinks I want her to win me.
A flash of chestnut brown hair in the back catches my attention. A flurry of silver. It’s Violet, hands in the air, wildly flapping over her head in the middle of the ballroom. She brings her finger to her nose. And she’s tapping it, like fucking Santa Claus coming down the chimney, and Harlan tapping his nose to signal his agent, and all the greatest solutions in the universe at once.
My heart goes crazy.
It hammers in my chest. This is like finding an open receiver a second before you’re sacked.
“Going twice,” Sierra says, trailing off as she waits.
I raise my arm and tap my nose, too. Violet is the only one who knows I need to get out of this jam. She’s the only one I mentioned it to. And she’s the only one now who can save me.
“Ten thousand dollars."
Holy shit. Violet does not mess around with my money. Her eyes widen, as if she’s surprised she bid that high.
My gaze finds Trent. He’s staring at his sister, slack-jawed.
Sierra’s smile is bright and wide. “Ten thousand dollars. Do we have ten thousand, one hundred?"
The room is hushed. Maxine’s expression is blank. She must be shocked. She probably didn’t expect anyone to vie with her to this extent.
I tap my foot, willing Sierra to close this quickly. Just slam the door shut, please, fucking please.
“Going one. Going twice."
I say a silent prayer. I cross my fingers. I hope.
Maxine blinks, opens her mouth, and I steel myself for a disgustingly high counter bid.
But there’s only silence. No words come. Violet has shocked her speechless. This type of bid wasn’t in Maxine’s playbook.
Sierra raises her arm. “And a night with the quarterback is sold for ten thousand dollars."
Talk about a Hail Mary.
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***The audiobook is narrated by Zachary Webber! Grab your copy today!***
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
When it comes to entertaining and rapid-fire dialogue, Ms. Blakely never disappoints. With this latest release the witty and sexually-charged banter is just one of the delightful aspects of this friends-to-lovers romance set in the world of professional football. What starts out as a relationship based on a lie soon becomes a relationship that's all too real and has both the hero and heroine struggling to admit the truth of what's in their hearts before time's up.
Cooper Armstrong's the star quarterback, beloved by the fans and drooled over by the ladies (and I can't say I blame them). His time as back-up quarterback had him embracing all the benefits of being young and sexy as he enjoyed all of the ladies who threw themselves at him. Now that he's in the spotlight, and dealing with contract negotiations, he decides to turn over a new leaf and eschew erotic entanglements. For the success of the team he becomes celibate which leads to complications once he finds himself unexpectedly attracted to his best friend's sister, who's been his friend since childhood as well. What starts out as a lie to save him from the overly-handsy attentions of the team owner's sister soon becomes a real relationship full of erotically-charged banter, unrelenting sexual tension, and fun and flirty interactions that put a smile on my face. The more time he spends with Violet the more drawn to her he becomes and the harder it is to ignore the attraction he's always felt for her. Just when he's ready to put his heart on the line a misunderstanding could end their HEA before it's barely begun. Cooper's a delicious hero, sweet and sexy, and full of charm. His life growing up was difficult which makes his deep dedication to football understandable as his success has made life better for his mom. He's known Violet since they were kids and many of his best memories involved her which made their strong connection, easy rapport, and combustible romance believable. Cooper's quick to admit his feelings for Violet and his grand gesture to prove his love endeared him to me. He's the quintessential book boyfriend for his unwavering support of his friend and lover, his affable nature, and his talent for dirty talk and I'm still dreaming of him every night!
Violet's been a part of Cooper's life since they were young and whenever she needed him most he was there. It's made for a strong connection between the two of them, one that's full of humor and subtle attraction. The night she comes to his rescue at a charity bachelor auction though everything changes between them. To help him in his contract negotiations, and to help her gain more clients for her hair salon, they pretend to be the perfect couple which brings hidden feelings to the surface in a relationship that won me over from their very first kiss to their cheer-worthy HEA. Violet's an immensely appealing heroine as she gives as good as she gets. Her banter with Cooper is fun and flirty and teeming with sexual tension. She's a strong-willed woman who goes after what she wants but doesn't see a future between her and Cooper because of his love of football. Despite her fears she was unwaveringly supportive of his success and it solidified their deep connection and had me rooting for them every step of the way.
Throughout the story readers are shown why Violet and Cooper are such a delightful match as their banter put a smile on my face and their romantic encounters scorched up the pages on my iPad. Their erotic encounters as lovers were creative and nicely balanced with sweet and funny moments as friends. There's virtually no angst in their relationship which made for an enjoyable journey to HEA full of heartwarming and charming encounters. Surrounding this immensely likable main couple are a large but memorable cast of secondary characters who brought much humor to the story. Amongst the most memorable of these characters are Cooper's teammates who are a colorful group whose playful banter made me chuckle and whose stories I long to read. They're rugged men, boyish in their mocking of one another, with funny superstitions and I found it easy to immerse myself into their athletic world on and off the field. On a whole this was a carefree romance that made for an afternoon of decadent delights. It's a friends-to-lovers romance that was utterly charming and steamy and is yet another winner from Ms. Blakely!
Cooper Armstrong's the star quarterback, beloved by the fans and drooled over by the ladies (and I can't say I blame them). His time as back-up quarterback had him embracing all the benefits of being young and sexy as he enjoyed all of the ladies who threw themselves at him. Now that he's in the spotlight, and dealing with contract negotiations, he decides to turn over a new leaf and eschew erotic entanglements. For the success of the team he becomes celibate which leads to complications once he finds himself unexpectedly attracted to his best friend's sister, who's been his friend since childhood as well. What starts out as a lie to save him from the overly-handsy attentions of the team owner's sister soon becomes a real relationship full of erotically-charged banter, unrelenting sexual tension, and fun and flirty interactions that put a smile on my face. The more time he spends with Violet the more drawn to her he becomes and the harder it is to ignore the attraction he's always felt for her. Just when he's ready to put his heart on the line a misunderstanding could end their HEA before it's barely begun. Cooper's a delicious hero, sweet and sexy, and full of charm. His life growing up was difficult which makes his deep dedication to football understandable as his success has made life better for his mom. He's known Violet since they were kids and many of his best memories involved her which made their strong connection, easy rapport, and combustible romance believable. Cooper's quick to admit his feelings for Violet and his grand gesture to prove his love endeared him to me. He's the quintessential book boyfriend for his unwavering support of his friend and lover, his affable nature, and his talent for dirty talk and I'm still dreaming of him every night!
Violet's been a part of Cooper's life since they were young and whenever she needed him most he was there. It's made for a strong connection between the two of them, one that's full of humor and subtle attraction. The night she comes to his rescue at a charity bachelor auction though everything changes between them. To help him in his contract negotiations, and to help her gain more clients for her hair salon, they pretend to be the perfect couple which brings hidden feelings to the surface in a relationship that won me over from their very first kiss to their cheer-worthy HEA. Violet's an immensely appealing heroine as she gives as good as she gets. Her banter with Cooper is fun and flirty and teeming with sexual tension. She's a strong-willed woman who goes after what she wants but doesn't see a future between her and Cooper because of his love of football. Despite her fears she was unwaveringly supportive of his success and it solidified their deep connection and had me rooting for them every step of the way.
Throughout the story readers are shown why Violet and Cooper are such a delightful match as their banter put a smile on my face and their romantic encounters scorched up the pages on my iPad. Their erotic encounters as lovers were creative and nicely balanced with sweet and funny moments as friends. There's virtually no angst in their relationship which made for an enjoyable journey to HEA full of heartwarming and charming encounters. Surrounding this immensely likable main couple are a large but memorable cast of secondary characters who brought much humor to the story. Amongst the most memorable of these characters are Cooper's teammates who are a colorful group whose playful banter made me chuckle and whose stories I long to read. They're rugged men, boyish in their mocking of one another, with funny superstitions and I found it easy to immerse myself into their athletic world on and off the field. On a whole this was a carefree romance that made for an afternoon of decadent delights. It's a friends-to-lovers romance that was utterly charming and steamy and is yet another winner from Ms. Blakely!
My rating for this is an A.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than eighty times, and she's sold more than 2 million books. In September she'll release MOST VALUABLE PLAYBOY, a standalone sports romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter HERE!
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